COMMIT 2 DHARMAPROGRAM APPLICATION
Please complete each item fully. Please type.
All questions are confidential to the management of the program.
Application Instructions
- Download forms to your computer.
- Please answer each of the questions as indicated. Please type your answers. Please fill out ALL forms. The consideration of your application is contingent upon having completed all forms and answering all the questions.
- Please make sure you read the section at the end of the application on Dana and support of the program and sign the agreement.
- Email your completed application file to:
- Print and staple one copy of the completed application.
- Snail mail or hand deliver one printed copy with your commitment signatures to:
Larry Yang, c/o EBMC, C2D Program, 2147 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
Questions:
Contact the program administrator and guiding teacher at
Out of respect for people with environmental illnesses, please do not wear fragrance or scented products to EBMC and C2D events. EBMC is wheelchair accessible.
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Date ______
Name:______
Telephone(s):______
Street Address:______
City:______State: ______Zip:______
E-mail address:______Date of Birth:______
How do you self-identify your racial and ethnic heritage or background?
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How do you self-identify your sexual orientation?______
How do you self-identify your gender identity?______
Do you identify as a person with a disability or disabilities? ( )Yes ( )No
Please describe anything you might need______
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Livelihood/Occupation/Life Interest:______
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Educational History:
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Dharma and Practice History
1) When did you begin your meditation practice?
2) Please list in the table below the silent, Vipassana and Metta retreats have you attended. Add lines if you need to. (The prerequisite for C2D is 15 days of silent, Vipassana and/or Metta retreats, residential or daylongs.)
Month/Year / Location / Teachers / No. of Days
Total number of days:
3) Please list any other retreat experience with non-Vipassana spiritual teachings (Buddhist or other traditions). If many, list the most recent and longest.
Month/Year / Location / Teachers / No. of Days
Total number of days:
4) Whom do you currently regard as your primary Vipassana or Buddhist teacher(s)?
5) Who have been your most important teachers?
6) Describe your daily sitting practice:
(6a) Please give a brief history of your daily sitting practice since you started meditating.
(6b) Please give a brief description of your current daily sitting practice.
7) What is your past history and current relationship to other Buddhist practices and teachers?
8) What is your past history and current relationship to non-Buddhist spiritual practices and teachers outside of Buddhism?
9) What Dharma study and reading have you done?
10) What motivates you to participate in Commit2Dharma at this time?
11) What are your plans (retreats, classes, or otherwise) for future Dharma practice?
12) Are you currently part of any sitting group or sangha? Please describe.
Residential Retreat information
Because there is a residential retreat component at the end of the program, the information in the following section is needed to create the container for that retreat. All information is confidential to the management of the C2D program and residential retreat.
13) Do you have any history of psychological or physical difficulties? Have you ever had or been treated for a psychological condition such as depression, eating disorder, drug/alcohol addiction, anxiety disorder, psychosis, schizophrenia, mania or any other psychological condition? Please describe, specifying condition(s) and date(s).
14) Have you experienced any significant emotional, psychological or spiritual event or difficulty in your life that affected your ability to function (e.g. grief, loss, trauma)? If so, briefly describe it and when it occurred. Is it still occurring now?
15) What kinds of psychotherapy have you engaged in?
16) Are you currently seeing a therapist or psychiatrist? If so, please explain the nature of your work with him or her.
17) Are you currently taking medication for any physical or psychological conditions? If yes, please specify the condition.
Additional information
18) What other forms of personal growth have you engaged in?
19) What is your current family and personal relationship situation? Include any other details about your current life situation that would be helpful for us to know.
20) Please note any other information you would like us to know:
21) Please seriously consider this question: Is there any reason you would not be able to fulfill your commitment to participate completely in this program?
With my signature, I agree, to the best of my ability, to participate fully in the C2D Program if I am accepted. This would include attending all scheduled meetings; completing all readings, practices, and reflections; developing and maintaining a relationship with my dharma buddy; doing the designated interviews with the guiding teacher; and attending the residential retreat at the end of the program.
Signature of Applicant ______date ______
Please make sure you sign this when returning your hard copy of your application to EBMC.
The Dana Component of the C2D Program
Unlike Training Programs at other meditation centers, the C2D Program will be solely supported by Dana or the Practice of Generosity and not require any registration or administrative fees. This is in keeping with the mission and vision of East Bay Meditation Center. While the C2D Program is offered without cost to participants, it does not mean that the experience is “free” or without financial responsibility. The Commit 2 Dharma Program cannot exist without financial support to create it, administer it, implement it, manage it, teach it, and host it. The C2D Program is intended to be an offering of the Buddha’s Teachings. The Teachings of the Buddha have been regarded for 2600 years as priceless—one cannot put a price tag on the guidance towards freedom and happiness. Please consider this deeply before you apply and Commit 2 Dharma. You will also be committing to supporting the Program’s welfare and ability to sustain itself.
Most similar programs have an upfront administrative or registration fee along with a registration fee for each meeting event to cover facility costs, not to mention the time it takes to offer the Teachings. (A comparable administrative fee for a program like C2D might be in the range of $225 per person upon acceptance of one’s application.) For the purpose of C2D, all these fees are going to be offered as an opportunity to practice Dana, or unconditional Generosity to support the continuation of the Dharma.
There will be resource materials, reference materials, and possibly published books which will be offered to all participants of the C2D Program. There are costs to duplicate these materials, as well as procure the published works. These will also be offered on a Dana basis.
The teachings by the guiding teacher and the host facility are also offered in this same spirit of generosity. You will be asked to practice Generosity for the length of the Program in supporting the Teacher and the Center for hosting the events. In addition, the guiding teacher will be committing between 8 to 12 hours every 6-8 weeks to do individual guiding interviews with students. This is considerable amount of time and your support for this effort would be greatly appreciated and assist the program to be able to live into its full potential.
There is also the residential retreat which participants will self-organize to close the C2D experience. Each participant will be given the opportunity to offer Dana to support the retreat financially (for example, facility fees, food expenses, transportation costs) as well as offer Dana for the Teachings. EBMC will also do outreach for funding opportunities from individuals and foundations to cover a portion of the costs and support for the residential retreat.
Lastly, one of the key dynamics of an all-Dana model is to accommodate those who do not have resources and provide accessibility to the teachings. The only way that this will happen in a sustainable way is for those who have a great deal of resources to offer more, so that people with less can still participate. You consideration of this is greatly appreciated by all of us.
22)In a few paragraphs, please describe your understanding of Dana and how you intend to approach the practice of Dana during the program. If you have any additional specific ideas of how Dana can sustain the program, the teachings, and the Center, please also describe them.
I understand how very important it is to sustain the Teachings of the Buddha and the Commit 2 Dharma Program. I have the intention to deeply reflect on what support through Generosity that I can offer for the Program. I commit to do what I can to contribute to the level that I am able in order for the Teachings to be offered freely.
Signature of Applicant ______date ______
Please make sure you sign this when returning your hard copy of your application to EBMC.
Commit 2 Dharma Program Description and ApplicationPage 1